Living Life
by Anjalyn
Summary: What if Edward never went to the Volturi? What if Jacob imprinted on Bella that first day in the woods? What if Bella finally figured out she loved Jacob more? What if Alice and Jasper became best of friends with Jake and Bells? What if the lottery was involved and you got to do everything you dreamed of doing - just living life for a change? AU
1. Alice is Back

Jacob helped Bella down from her truck; her clothes still wet, from her 'swim', sticking to her chilled body. They were in their own world and she smiled, wrapping her hand up around the back of his neck and pulled Jake down to kiss his lips; her toes lifting her to arch into his warm body. They stayed kissing for a minute before breaking away. Upon pulling back, Bella gasped as she saw the black Mercedes sitting across from her house. With a wide smile she rushed to the car door and couldn't hold back the squeal, as she saw the pixie-like-vampire get out of the car and opened her arms for Bella to rush into.

"ALICE! Oh my, I've missed you so much!"

Jake stayed back by the driveway, his expression neutral, as he watched the two girls hug.

"Bella, I've missed you, as well. I'm so glad you are okay. I saw you go off the cliff and I thought…"

Bella shook her head and leaned it against Alice's, eyes closed, basking in the cool, hard feel of her friend.

"I … no, it's all right. Just some recreational cliff diving. Jake went in after me." Bella told her, hedging the truth as Jake scoffed.

"More like she leapt on her own and I dived in after to save her ass." Jake added his two cents into the conversation in a snarky tone, through a smile.

"Bella, you could have drowned…" Alice started, pulling back with her hands on Bella's shoulders to look her over, concern clearly in her eyes. "Let's get you inside and out of these wet clothes before you get sick." Alice took Bella's warm hand in her cool one and walked towards the house, pausing long enough to let Bella unlock the door. Jake followed them in and went straight into the kitchen to look for something to eat and drink. Alice and Bella headed up the stairs. She herded Bella into the bathroom while she got Bella a change of clothes from the bedroom.

"Shower and get warm, here's a change of clothes. I'll be downstairs if you need me." Alice told her as she sat the clothes on the counter and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She then went downstairs and stood near the phone. Not thirty seconds later it rang and Alice picked it up before Jake could reach it. "Hello. Yes, she's fine. No, I'm sure. Recreational cliff diving. No, she can't, she's in the shower. Yes, I'll tell her you called. No, I don't know if she will call you back. Of course, give me the number." Alice spoke quickly into the phone. She looked partially upset but worked to keep her expression neutral. Once she jotted the number down, she hung up, slipped the post-it into her pocket and moved to make a cup of green tea for Bella.

In the shower Bella couldn't help but smile as she thought about Alice's smiling face. She knew she missed the family but, she didn't realize how strongly until now. Despite the fact that she jumped off a cliff to see their faces, she wasn't thinking about that now. She didn't ache like she had before, instead she felt content for the first time in a long time. She hurried with her shower, dressing in dark blue jeans and a soft teal t-shirt and teal and grey striped short socks followed by her black Converse shoes. With a few swipes of her brush she braided her hair and pulled the braid over her right shoulder before heading towards the smell of fresh tea and her friends in the kitchen.

Jake sat at the table, inhaling a plate of Shepherd's Pie and a can of Dr. Pepper. When Bella came down he smiled and commented, "I've never seen you wear that shirt before, it looks good on you, love." He and Bella had many heart to hearts in the last few months and their love for each other had only grown. Since then, it had been smooth and easy between them. They could sit for hours in the woods, her on a blanket and wrapped in another as she lay on his wolf, reading aloud until it became too dark to see, then he would give her a ride home.

"I smell tea… did you leave me any of my chocolate chip, bacon cookies, darling?" Bella asked as she came into the kitchen with a smile. She saw Alice's brow go up at the "darling" and "love" comments but she didn't ask so Bella went to the cabinet and pulled out the Tupperware container of cookies she made the day before. She opened it and inhaled the fragrance with a hum of appreciation before setting it down on the table and taking the fresh cup of tea from Alice's hands. "Thank you, Alice. It smells wonderful." She sat in the chair next to Jacob, across from Alice and took a small sip of the hot beverage, before reaching into the container and pulling out a cookie to munch on. She held the one in between her teeth and took out four more, laying them on the table in front of herself and then pushed the bowl towards Jake, who broke out into a massive grin and took two cookies, one for each hand, from inside it.

Alice smiled as she watched the by-play before asking, "What's up with the darling and love terms? I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I can barely see you in my visions anymore, Bella."

"Jake and I talked, a lot, and we found ourselves slowly but surely coming to care for each other. Now that he's gotten more control over his shifting and I've let go of 'him'… he imprinted on me."

"Imprinting… is that like how we have soul mates?" Alice asked.

Jake fielded this one and nodded, "Yup, it's a mating pull, something just clicked on day and we started growing closer. It can be rough for some but for us, it was as easy as breathing."

Bella added, "He's been my rock and salvation. I've … I've been lost without you and your family. Edward shattered me when he broke up with me and left me in the woods that…"

"What do you mean "he" broke up with you and left you in the woods?!" Alice shrieked in outrage.

Jake growled and stood up, hands on the table, blurring slightly as he glared at Alice and said in a deep authoritarian tone, "You will NOT yell at her. If you want to know, you will sit down, shut up and listen."

Surprisingly, Alice backed down and folded her hands into her lap, nodding slowly to Jake before looking at Bella. "I'm sorry. He's right, I shouldn't have yelled. That's just… not what Edward told us happened. Please, I'd like to know what he said and what happened that day."

Jake sat back down with a huffing nod and grabbed another cookie, giving Bella a thumb's up with his free hand.

Bella had originally flinched back into her chair when Alice went off but as soon as Jake stood, she relaxed, knowing he'd take care of it and her. She also knew that she really had nothing to fear from Alice, it was just a knee-jerk reaction. With a deep breath she explained what Edward had said that day in the woods. She told of how he'd left her there all alone, how Sam had to find and rescue her. She told of her nightmares that woke Charlie. She told how all of her pictures, mementos and cd's of them were gone. She told Alice too, about Victoria still coming around trying to catch her alone. As she talked, the expression on Alice's face got darker and darker. By the time she finished her tale, Alice looked ready to kill, her eyes were black and she was literally vibrating with rage.

Alice closed her eyes and spoke very quietly, just above a whisper, each word carefully put out there, "I'm going to hunt. Please give me a few minutes to do that and get myself back together. Then we will talk more." Without waiting for an answer and not seeing the nods of approval she crossed the room and left via the back door, fading out of sight as she ran into the woods.

Bella turned to look at Jake as Alice faded from view, "What did she mean by "that's not what he told them"? I… I don't understand, Jake." She dropped her chin to her chest and started to cry. With a sigh, Jake took her tea cup and sat it down before picking her up and pulling her into his lap as he rocked her and sang in Quileute. He continued his sing, even after she fell asleep in his arms.


	2. Catching Alice Up

Alice came back from her hunt slightly disheveled. She paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of Bella sleeping and Jake holding her. She didn't understand the words he was singing but she understood the reason for it. With a whispered tone she asked, "Is she alright?"

Jake shook his head. "No, she's really not. You all leaving broke something in her. Today is the first time I've seen her smile like that in months… and it's because she saw one of you. You guys were her family, more than Charlie ever has been and you just up and left her here with that monster hunting her. If not for the pack she and Charlie both would be dead. We're still hunting the red head, she's fast, but one day she will slip up and we'll get her. But, yeah, it fucked her up when you left. She really thought she loved Edward and that he loved her, his abandonment of her showed her otherwise. It doesn't help that now she feels unworthy; even though I tell her all the time that I love her and would not be complete without her. It's taken me months to get her to let me in. She's said more to you in one setting than she has to me in months and I should feel pissed about that but, really, I'm just glad she let it off her chest finally. Are you going to up and leave her again?" The question was laced with worry.

Alice was shocked, to say the least. She'd hardly seen any vision of Bella, but if she'd known that she was having such a hard time she'd have come back sooner. Damn her brother and his antiquated ways. With a slow breath she tried to explain, "Edward told us that she was so upset by what happened at the birthday party that she wanted us to leave her alone and never come around again. It didn't sound like Bella, but she had been threatened and thrown into a glass table, we didn't like it but we accepted it and moved on, because it's what we thought she wanted. Soon after we were gone, I quit being able to see her in my visions, I thought she was blocking me because she was mad. I honestly, had no idea. I finally saw her today, this morning; I saw her jump off the cliff. I thought she was committing suicide. I … I had to come. I couldn't get to where she was because of the treaty, so I sat outside her house, hoping I was wrong and that she'd come around. You have no idea how much I've missed her. She is my best friend, after Jasper."

Bella woke sometime while Alice was explaining. With a soft sigh, she lifted her head and looked at Alice sadly before asking, "Why did you ignore my emails then, if you missed me, if I'm your best friend?"

"What emails? My account hasn't worked in months… oh… damn it. Edward must have done something to my account. I haven't been able to access it since we moved. I had no reason to think it was anything other than a glitch. I'm so, so sorry, Bella." Alice looked devastated at the implication that she'd ignored Bella.

"I still have them on my lap top, if you want to read them. Upstairs, just open the program. I… I need the restroom." It was obvious that Bella just needed to get away and her retreat from the kitchen was swift, as was her climb up the stairs. She didn't bother to check herself, either, when she slammed the bathroom door shut. Both Alice and Jacob winced at the sound.

"She made the offer, I haven't read them so… yeah, and you should take advantage of the insight and go read them. I'll stay down here. I think there's more Shepherd's Pie calling my name anyway." He said with a slight smile before getting up and turning to the fridge.

Alice hesitated for a second before she got up and went upstairs. She was quiet but fast as she moved and then read the emails. Again, she felt herself burning with anger as she read the agony that Bella had gone through the last handful of months. With quick movements she forwarded the emails to Jazz with a quick "Show these to the family, please, Edward lied to all of us. Come as soon as you can. Will call later, xoxo Ali."

By the time Alice came back downstairs Jake and Bella were sitting on the couch listening to the rain pour outside. With a sigh she sat next to them on the sofa. "I… I can never apologize enough for what happened, Bella. But I promise to make it up to you, anyway I can. I can talk to the family about moving back here, at least until you finish high school, but I don't know if they all can. Carlisle is in a contract through the rest of the year, that much I do know. But at the very least, Jazz and I can move back here. Rosalie and Emmett are on vacation, touring Europe for their anniversary. "

Jake cleared his throat, "I think it would be great if you two moved back. I can't speak for the pack, but Bella, she needs you."

Bella smiled at Alice. "He's right; I'd love it if you and Jasper moved back here. But how will you explain two kids without their parents?"

Alice thought about it for a minute before smiling. "I've got it; Esme can fly in and visit from time to time… anytime we need to make a show of having a parent here. We can just say that I wanted to finish school here and mom being the wonderful mother she is, she's letting me. I can have emancipation papers drawn up so that I don't catch any flack when she's not around. Jazz is already, on paper, legal to be on his own. What do you think?"

Bella couldn't stop smiling. She nodded happily and chirped, "Can I stay with you guys sometimes? I'm sure Charlie will be ok with it, once he gets over being mad. Shit, what about Jake… I can't just abandon him." As she talked, she moved back into her own chair, finishing her tea and cookies.

"He can come too. I won't take him away from you. I'm not saying all the wolves can come onto our land, but he can for a start. I'll have Jazz meet with Sam at the treaty line when he comes to make it 'legal'. Does that work for you, Jacob? Think you can handle the smell? I know we will have to use lots of air freshener to get by." Alice teased as she smiled.

Bella giggled at the last and Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I can handle it. It's worth it, being able to come over sometimes to have the extra time with Bells."

"I need to tell you about the phone call while you were up in the shower earlier." Alice said hesitatingly.

"Oh, yeah." Jake said, "Who was it, anyway?"

Bella looked confused but looked to Alice for answers. For some reason, she felt uneasy with the expression on Alice's face. "Alice, who was it? Is everything okay?"

Alice took a breath and exhaled before telling them, "It was Edward. He…"

Alice was interrupted as Bella stood quickly, the chair she was sitting in falling over and clattering to the floor. Bella's face was flushed with rage, her voice strained as her voice lifted and rang with irritation. "What the hell? All these months and nothing and now the asshole decides to call me? Well fuck him, I'm not talking to him and I don't want to see him either! I mean it Alice, if he comes here; I'll light the bastard on fire myself."

Alice and Jacob blinked in surprise, neither had ever heard Bella cuss, much less so much in one space of time. Bella was breathing hard and her pupils were dilated in anger. Simultaneously Jacob and Alice raised their palms in classic "I give up" gestures and before either could move tears were suddenly streaming down Bella's face as she dropped to sit on the floor, disappearing from view. With twin yelps, Alice and Jacob were out of their chairs, racing around the sides of the table to crouch next to her on the floor.

"Holy shit… I've never heard such a mouth … outside of the pack, that is." Jake said, trying to make light.

Alice just wrapped her cool arms around Bella, holding her close, rocking her similar to how Jake had earlier. "I got you Bella… let it all out now. We're here." Alice's voice whispered in Bella's ear softly, her tone pitched lower than usual.

"I mean it… I never want to talk to him if I can get by with it." Bella managed out between sobs, before falling quiet and just enjoying behind held by Alice. Her eyes were slightly closed and slowly a small smile lifted her lips up and smoothed out her features, her arms twined around Alice's back, her fingers threaded with Jake's.

Jake watched with a knowing smile, sitting on his knees. After a good five minutes, Bella nodded off again, all the stress of the day getting the better of her. Alice looked at Jacob with a 'what do we do now' look. Jake smiled and slowly disentangled from Bella before standing up. "Can you carry her up to her bed? She'll probably take a power nap. She doesn't sleep for long periods without me beside her."

"I know the winning numbers to the next lottery drawing. I'm buying you a ticket. It's the least I can do for you. You took care of Bella when I couldn't… I can never repay you for that."

Jacob's eyes got big and then he let out a hearty chuckle before asking, "Seriously, 'cause Pixie, if you do that, I'll call you my sister, even if you do stink to high hell."

"36 42 51 52 53 40" Alice told him without preamble. Go buy a ticket while I tuck her in, the prize is 79 million.

Jake blinked at her a few times before rustling around in his pockets for a dollar, when he found one he brandished it with a wide grin, leaned over to kiss Bella's cheek then pat Alice on the top of the head before rushing out of the house to the nearest gas station.

Alice chuckled as she stood, lifting Bella easily and headed for the girl's bedroom.


	3. Lottery

Alice sat in the rocker, in the corner of the room, silently texting back and forth with Jazz while Jake snoozed on the bed with Bella. It had been a good three hours and the sun was starting to set. She heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive and both Bella and Jake sat up with surprisingly alert expressions. Bella was the first to speak, "Shit, I forgot to make dinner for us and Charlie. I think I have enough to take us to the dinner and pick…"

"I'll buy everyone dinner, it's something I can do to help." Alice interrupted with a smile.

"Let her do it, love, that way you aren't scrambling around. We can order in." Jacob said as he hugged Bella gently, adoration clear in his mannerisms. "Can you eat or… how do we explain your food or lack of eating or… whatever?"

Alice chuckled, "I can order a rare steak and … well to put it bluntly, eat it and puke up the solid parts later. I'll claim to be full after eating it and give you my baked potato, I'm sure you can polish it off for me. Any other foods, I'll just fall back on the medical reason for not eating it."

A few moments later Charlie knocked on the doorframe, peeking into the room with a smile, shock evident when he saw Alice. "Hello Alice, this is a welcome surprise. I didn't know you were coming into town. We've missed you around here."

With a bright smile, Alice stood and crossed the room to Charlie, drawing him into a careful hug. "I'm looking at transferring back to Forks, I really don't like Pennsylvania. I find myself missing the rain. By the way, I distracted them this afternoon so I'd like to pick up dinner, my treat. Bella said I could stay the night with her while I'm here, if that's okay with you Charlie?"

Charlie couldn't help but smile back at the charismatic girl before him. "You can buy us dinner just this once and of course you can sleep over. Bella's missed you. One question though?"

"Ask away, Charlie. If I know the answer I'll give it to you as best as I can." Alice told him, still smiling at the police chief.

"Your brother Edward isn't with you is he? Because that boy is not welcome on my property, I don't care what he has to say for himself. I understand he's your family but you have to understand how much he hurt mine. I won't stand for it happening again. Not now that Bella's happy again with Jake. I hope you see my point."

Alice found herself siding with Charlie and told him so, as soon as he stopped talking, not wanting to interrupt. "No sir. He's not coming back, as far as I know but, I'll make sure he knows he's not welcome here. He'll have to get through me, sir… and while I'm little, I'm stronger than I look." She gave him a bright smile and tried to look cute and innocent while looking threatening at the same time. It came off looking like a puffed up kitten that'd been barked at.

Charlie laughed under his breath at the idea of this slip of a girl being threatening but knew from stories that little sisters could be brutal. "I'll take your word for it. Bella knows my order at the dinner and I'll call the gas station so you can pick me up a pack of beers, I'm out. Make sure to pick up drinks for yourself while you are there." He left the room to clean up after work and change into comfortable clothes while Bella, Jake and Alice busied themselves with ordering dinner.

20 minutes later the trio piled into Carlisle's Mercedes and headed to the dinner to get their food. The radio played soft jazz music the entire time and Bella found herself smiling again. They got the food and then the drinks and headed back to Bella's. The "kids" ate in the kitchen while Charlie ate in front of the TV with his beer and ballgame. This actually made things much easier. While he was engrossed, Alice gave her plate to Jake and sat back with a smile, pitching her voice just above a whisper, so as to not be overheard. "I hunted while I was out before. I hope you don't mind me inviting myself over, Bella. I don't have to stay but I figured that would make the most sense. The house is still closed up and it will take a few hours at vampire speed to get it habitable again."

"It's fine with me, so long as you don't mind watching Jake and I sleep. You're welcome to my lap top or my Wi-Fi to keep you company. I'm glad you are here." Bella told her friend as she ate her chicken fiesta breast and rice, chased down with a cold Arizona Fruit Punch drink.

"I have my cell, so I'm set for the night. I've been talking to Jazz off and on and as soon as he hits town he's going to open up the house and get it aired out for us."

Bella took a drink and then nodded, "That sounds perfect. I wish I were done with school, I'd tempt Jake into running away with me to someplace … not here. As much as I love Forks, there's no privacy with the pack mind and the memories here… are painful. Not that I'm not enjoying making new ones but…"

Jake smiled and reached over, rubbing his fingers against Bella's hand and nodded. "I'm not the alpha and I have enough control over my wolf… that other than what I would do for dad… I'd be right there beside you, Bells. But if things work out…" he looked over at Alice with a wide grin before continuing, "it will all work out great by this time next week and if you want to just travel around this summer – we will."

"Jake?!" Bella said with a gasp, smiling but looking concerned at the same time. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

"I bought a lotto ticket this afternoon, care of our resident pixie." He gave his girl a happy grin before reaching over and giving Alice's hand a quick squeeze. "She helped me pick out the numbers. I have a feeling this is our lucky weekend." He added with a chuckle.

Alice felt like adding her two cents. "Besides, even if you don't count lotto tickets and winning numbers, Jazz and I have more than enough money in our personal accounts to buy our way to the moon and back every month for a few years. It helps when you know when to buy and sell on the stock market." She tapped her temple as she gave a playful but serious smirk.

"I… holy shit… seriously? The lotto? How much is the pay out this weekend?" Bella couldn't help but ask.

"It's only seventy-nine million over time or fifty-five and some change if you do an all at once payout." Alice told her with a Cheshire smile.


	4. Shopping in Seattle

The weekend came and went. Jazz showed up on Saturday morning. Come Saturday night they were gathered around the TV, at the Cullen's place, watching the lottery numbers be drawn. Sure enough, the numbers Alice gave Jake matched and they spoke of things they would like to do with the money.

They were going to give half a million to both dads, each of Jake's sisters and her mom. One hundred and fifty-thousand would go to each pack member, twice that for those that are paired and an extra fifty thousand for building houses for each pack member/pair. They would also put a million in a trust fund to gather interest for future pack members and their needs. Alice would help them pick out good investments to grow the account. It was decided that Bella and Jake would both be home school the last rest of their high school years on Isle Esme or wherever they decided to travel; and would spend this summer here and visiting Renee before moving.

Neither Jake nor Bella were looking forward to the conversations with their dads. More so, Bella cringed at the idea of explaining homeschooling and traveling all over the globe to her mother. They decided to get through the week before talking about moving and chose to just tackle the money and spring break issues this weekend. Bella talked her dad and explained that she and Jake had bought the ticket and won, but that Jasper was going to collect the money for them since he was over 18 and they were seventeen and sixteen relatively. He originally balked at the idea but once he spoke to Jasper and was told there was already a contract being drawn up to protect Bella and Jacob, Charlie calmed down and relented. He agreed to let Bella go so that they could all go down to Seattle to pick up the winnings and to stay the week with the other three 'teens' for spring break.

Next, Billy was called and the same conversation repeated. Billy was less than thrilled that a: Jake was hanging around leeches and b: he was gullible enough to trust them with his money. Jake tried to explain that there wouldn't be any money without them, however, that fact was swept under the rug. They agreed to disagree and Jake was right, as soon as he mentioned taking care of his family and the pack, Billy started singing a different tune. The next call was to Sam and Emily. He carefully explained about the ticket, how the numbers were gotten and their idea for sharing the wealth. While Sam wasn't keen on taking money that had anything to do with a leech, common sense won out. They weren't sure how well it would go over with the rest of pack but, they were hoping the money would help make it easier.

Alice found a mansion, the Shuey House, in downtown Seattle for rent per week… with an offer to triple the fee; they were reserved for spring break week. Now all they had to do was have Jasper sweep in and collect the fifty-five million, five hundred thousand dollars from the seventy-nine million jack pot. Yes, taxes were a bitch but, if it meant they got the money without wait and fuss, so be it. When Monday rolled around, they got an early start out after calling and confirming their ticketed win. Jasper drove the quartet to Seattle. It was surprisingly easy to turn in the ticket and collect the check. They went to the nearest Wells Fargo and opened a joint account for Bella and Jacob… with Jasper as the co-signer. They walked out of the bank with twenty-five thousand loaded on two different pre-paid visas, one for each of them. The rest safely tucked into the bank but, accessible through set-up-right-then Visa debit cards. They would deal with setting up accounts for the pack and Blacks and Bella's family on the next Monday, when they were back in Forks.

Jake and Bella both needed a wardrobe adjustment but before they would agree to the mall, they demanded food first. With pleasant chuckles, the Mercedes went through a drive through and enough food was bought that it looked like they were feeding the entire car's population… not just one small human girl and an eternally starving werewolf. Jasper commented on this after they made it through the drive-thru and the others couldn't help but agree. Once food was eaten they headed for the nearest mall. It was decided that Jasper and Jacob would go off together while Alice and Bella did their shopping without the boys being bored.

Alice asked Jasper to pick up four new Apple iPhones, iPods, iPads and MacBook; slate grey for Jasper, sky blue for Alice, royal purple for Bella and forest green for Jacob. They would also be getting all the gear that went along with them, complete with four Cole-Haan leather messenger bags with slots to carry and protect the devices. Both pairs stopped at the main entrance to the mall, looking left and right and smiled at each other before parting into "boys and girls" and going their own ways. Normally Bella hated shopping but for some reason, it didn't bother her today. She shrugged it off to not having to worry about money and decided to just go with the flow and enjoy the day, buying whatever caught her fancy.

"Let's head into Victoria's Secret first, I want pretty small clothes." Bella said with a hint of a blush. She grabbed an associate from the desk and started picking out her purchases while Alice went off to get things of her own. She stayed mainly to the bikini bottoms and comfort bras but did pick up a few flirtier pieces for Jacob's delight. She also bought a rainbow's selection of camisoles and boy shorts to sleep in. Two new robes were picked out, one thick and fluffy, the other a soft jersey t-shirt material. By the time she picked out her items and met Alice at the checkout; she was shocked at how much Alice had piled on there. She just giggled, shaking her head and waited her turn.

Alice had a pleased look on her face as the girls walked into Nordstrom. Bella headed straight away to swim wear and browsed through the bikini selections. A soft "Oh shit, this is perfect" from her alerted Alice that she'd found something, so Alice wandered over and looked at the two piece in Bella's hands. Both looked at each other before giggling. The fabric had prints of wolves on cream, peach and light blue fabric. It was perfect and Bella hoped Jake would appreciate it. She picked up a few other suits, picking up a stars and stripes suit too. But the one by Maaji Woodland Rivers, with the wolves, was her favorite. This time Alice went with her to pick out jeans, capris, shorts and skorts. Bella fell in love with a white denim set of bottoms that were shorts but had a skirt panel over the front, so much so, that she bought it in several colors and patterns. Next they moved to the shirt section of the store to buy tops that would mix and match with the bottoms she'd picked out. She stayed mainly with dressier t-shirts and tanks, as they were going to the island, but she did pick up a few thin long sleeves over shirts.

Although they had already shopped at Victoria's Secret, they moved into the intimates section of the store. Bella picked out more short jersey socks, as well as some warm fuzzy socks that were on clearance. She added a few more camisole with shorts sets and went so far as to pick up a few lingerie items too. In case it got cooler, she chose several pairs of pajamas, both in cotton and flannel, the later of the two being on clearance since it was March. She also stopped in for some skirts, picking up several long skirts that came to her feet with slits in the sides to her knees. On Alice's suggestion, she chose a few knee-length skirts as well, but only a couple, as she wasn't as comfortable in the shorter skirts.

Next they headed to shoes. Alice went nuts there, picking out sandals, ballet flats and shockingly a few pairs of running shoes. When she headed to the boots, Bella balked, but when she tried on the soft suede shoes with the small chunky heal she had to give in and set aside a dark maroon, blonde and black pairs. Alice didn't bother to hide her chuckles and was glad to see this girly and carefree side of her friend. As they passed by an associate they handed her the clothes and shoe boxes, then asked her to hold the items for them because they weren't done shopping. The girl agreed, seeing a good commission coming her way.

The two girls paused to look at the luggage but Alice quickly told her, "There's a Samsonite store in the mall, they're better and sturdier too." Bella nodded and instead looked at bedding, something was calling her name, and she just didn't know what yet. At the displays she loved the bright colors and patterns in the Tracy Porter quilt, aptly it was named "Poetic Wanderlust". She picked up four new pillows, the quilt and four sham covers and grinned at Alice. "I love this quilt; I'm always chilled so I'm getting it."

"Get anything you want, Bella; you don't have to worry about if you have the money for it now. Enjoy worry-free-shopping." Alice told her with a giggle.

"I've always had to worry about bills and money, even with Charlie, so just letting go and getting what I want is such a weird idea, I might go into shock later." Bella teased as they moved to the check-out counter. She paid for her purchases with her pre-loaded Visa card and still had plenty left over. She pulled out a black and blue tribal pattern shirt, the black skort and the black calf high boots and headed for the bathroom with one of her V.S. bags. She changed small clothes, sighing at the soft fabric against her skin before pulling on the outer clothes and boots. With a giggle she emptied her pockets into her skort and threw the old grey t-shirt and ratty jeans away. Her old black converses were slipped into a bag and she came back out to happy clapping from Alice. "Does it look alright? Think Jake will like it?"

"Definitely! You need a few make-up essentials though. A light base w/sunblock, eyeliner, lip gloss and eye shadow. Maybe pick up a few fragrances too." Alice said as she took the bags from Bella and herded her towards the make-up counters. They went with Clinique since it was one of the lightest types. Bella fell in love with the perfume "Happy" and bought not only two bottles but the lotion and body wash to go with it. Since she bought as much as she did, she got a free beach tote, a purse sized bag and smaller make up bag. Bella took the time to put the lip gloss, eyeliner and small bottle of Happy into the make-up bag and then dropped it into the purse. She pulled her cards and what little cash she had from her pocket and placed it too, inside the purse. After this, they took their shopping bags out to the Mercedes' trunk, and then headed back inside the mall.


	5. Enjoying the Week in Seattle

The fellas started out, as Alice had asked, at the Apple store. They not only picked up exactly what she'd asked for but added international coverage on all four phones and internet for the IPads and MacBooks. On a whim, they picked up a fifth phone for Charlie, getting it in chrome with "Chief Charlie Swan" engraved onto the back. They also picked out a chrome-colored MacBook. Jasper made sure Skype was set up on it so that Charlie could see and talk with Bella while they traveled. Before heading to get clothes for Jake, they put the bags in the Mercedes.

They went back into the mall and headed to JC Penny's. There dozens of shirts, shorts and jeans were picked up, as well as a few dressier pairs of pants and polo shirts. They too utilized an associate and picked up sandals, runners and boots. As Jake passed the jewelry counter he paused to look at some things but walked away without getting anything as Jasper told him there was better quality at the Kays store. He too changed clothes after making his purchases, changing into a navy polo, dark denim jeans with worn spots and black soft leather boots and matching belt.

As Jasper went to put the bags in the car, Jake went on ahead to Kays. Jake looked at the jewelry and went with his gut, purchasing a wedding set for Bella. It had sweeps of round Chocolate Diamonds surrounding a line of Vanilla Diamonds in the tantalizing engagement ring. The set came from the Chocolate Weddings Collection by Le Vian, and had a round Vanilla Diamond in the center. The wedding band, featuring Vanilla Diamonds, was contoured to fit around the engagement ring. He found earrings and a heart shaped necklace – all from the Le Vian collection, to go with it. He also picked up a set of matching studs for Bella and Alice, and for himself and Jasper, though he and Jazz would only wear one earring a piece.

For Bella he also picked up a platinum charm bracelet with several different charms. He chose a wolf, book, truck, badge, sunshine and a puzzle piece that was engraved on one side with Bells & Jake and Ali & Jazz on the other. He left plenty of room to add on more charms as they traveled, but figured those would be a great start. For himself he bought a Fossil watch and wallet to replace the one that was falling apart. He had the bracelet wrapped and the earrings separated out and wrapped as well. The wedding ring was kept separate from the engagement ring; he'd wait for a more appropriate place to ask her.

The boys met the girls outside of Clair's and Jake passed around the earring gifts to everyone, he and Jazz only getting one each, whereas the girls got a full set. Everyone smiled at the matching gear and Jazz and Alice put theirs in while they were standing around. Jake and Bells would need theirs professionally pierced, thus meeting up outside of the Clair's. The girls bought easily over a hundred dollars' worth of things, each, and so when they asked to have the studs pierced, the girl at the counter agreed without any fuss.

Jake and Bella were both hungry so, they headed down to the food court. They shared a pizza, half meat-lovers for Jake and the other half cheese and veggies for Bella. As the four of them sat around the table, plans for the next week were made. Jake and Bells would spend the sunniest day at the spa getting pampered and fussed with, while Ali and Jazz would hunt – that was happening Wednesday. Tomorrow they were going to the touristy spots around Seattle since it would be nice and overcast. Thursday they would spend another sunny day inside watching movies, planning and just vegging out. Friday they would do a bit more shopping, set up accounts for everyone and end the night at the Space Needle for dinner. Saturday they planned on spending the day at the movie theatre and Sunday they would head back home to Forks.

The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon shopping. They went together into the Samsonite store and picked out hard case luggage sets. Keeping with their color scheme of the Apple products, Bella got the purple set and Jake the forest green one while Ali and Jazz got blue and silver. They made the order so that the items were shipped to the Cullen house in Forks that way they didn't have to worry with trying to fit it into the car. Next they hit a Game Stop… where Jake picked up a PS3 and an Xbox 360, along with a dozen games for each and four controllers. Bella picked up several movies she had wanted to see and a carrying case for Jakes games and systems. From there they browsed the mall, picking up small things here and there before stopping in at Spencer's for their last stop.

Inside the alternative store they bought random t-shirts, novelty belts and socks as well as some playful jewelry. They snickered over the sexual gag gifts and Alice picked up a pair of love dice much to the delight of Jasper.

"I'm gonna need earplugs – industrial strength ones…" Jake whined with a smile.

The others just laughed while Bella agreed with him, "Yeah, we both will."

It was dinner time when they left the mall so they headed to a nearby steak house. The two vampires ordered their steaks rare, Bella ordered hers medium well and Jake went with medium. They all ordered loaded baked potatoes, though two of them would be going home with them. Dinner was an enjoyable affair, filled with conversation and talks of dreams.

"I've always wanted to go to every state and visit each capital. That and travel Route 66. Just something about the idea of going along something that so many people have traveled appeals to me. Now if we are talking across the ocean – I want to see Paris and London, for starters." Bella told her friends.

"I like the Route 66 idea… I want to go to the Bahamas, or some island where I can play in the sand and water and just relax for a change." Jake chimed in.

"Well, Isle Esme is off the coast of Brazil – how's that for an island get away?" Jasper asked with a quirky grin.

"Works for me, man… just somewhere that I can be lazy for a few months and explore without worry." Jake said.

"Oh, there are several square miles of island to explore," Alice added, "There's a waterfall and lagoon, several trails, wildlife for hunting and several coves and reefs to swim about in. I think the island measures twenty three square smiles on average… there are even some high ranges and a mini rainforest like area. I think you two will love it there. And it's only a few hours from the mainland so we can wander into town for shopping and ethnic foods and parties in the evenings and overcast days. Though you two could go anytime."

"For a start, I'd feel safer if all of us were together, besides, I don't know the language." Bella commented.

Their conversation lasted for several hours and soon they were told the restaurant was closing. They got dessert to go and paid their bill before heading back to the Shuey house. Alice and Jasper took a suite at one end of the house and Bella and Jacob took one on the other – to afford each couple some privacy.

The week went as planned and by the end of it, they all felt they needed a vacation to recover from their vacation. They were ready to head back to Forks and finish up the year so that they could enjoy the rest of their lives. They stopped once more in the Wells Fargo and had cashier's checks drawn up for the amount for everyone except Jake's sisters and Bella's mom. Instead phone calls were made and accounts were wired the given funds. They would take the cashier's checks to each party once they were back in Forks.


	6. Back in Forks

The drive home was quiet, as Jake and Bella napped in the back seat, curled into each other. Alice and Jasper spoke quietly in the front seat. "Are you happy my girl?" Jasper asked as he took one of Alice's hands in his own.

"I really am Jazz. I didn't realize how much I missed her. I'm even adjusting to Jake being around… I had a vision of us traveling to Florida this summer during a rainy patch. We're staying in Disney land for two weeks. Some of the days we will be inside while they spend it with her mom… but the 'gator hunting looks fun and I can't wait to try it." Alice told him as she lifted their hands and kissed the back of his.

"I was worried about you before, you were so depressed. You just seemed to have stopped being … well Jake said it best – pixie like. If being with them is what makes you happy, I have no problems with it. Do you really think the pack will let Jake go?"

"They will complain and try to talk him out of it, but since he never took up Alpha he's free to go. Besides, several of the wolves will be imprinting soon and they will be too busy with their own new families to worry about Jake. And I have to make sure Bella goes to a doctor, she needs on birth control. She's not ready for kids right now and neither is he." Alice said to her husband and then added a bit more.

"I think we will need to visit Mr. Jenks to get new IDs, birth certificates and passports. I want to go back to using Whitlock… and if they will agree to take the name, it will make things easier for them to travel if they were documented as over eighteen at least. Though, Jake could pass for being in his twenties along with you. The new looks they are both sporting will help to support the increased age. Charlie is going to miss having Bella around but with the laptop and phone, they will stay in touch. I'm going to set him up a maid service that cooks Sunday through Thursday, so that he doesn't go back to eating out all the time."

"That's a sweet idea, Ali – I know it will make Bella feel better. Think we can set one up for Billy Black too? I know they are going to have the money to do it themselves, but we are the reason Bella and Jake will not be there to do things for them." Jasper suggested.

"Good points… I'll make sure I set up service for Billy too. When we get back to the house we'll talk to them and have them arrange the services in their names but on our accounts. We'll need to stop by the diner and pick up meals for them. Steak and fried shrimp for Jake and Salmon for Bella and pecan pie slices for dessert. That way once we are home we can feed them something hot while still relaxing." Alice told Jasper with a smile.

As Ali had suggested, once they made it back to Forks, they stopped in the diner and Ali danced into the shop to order food, dessert and sweet tea. Within fifteen minutes she was back in the car with a warm paper bag full of food and drink. Another ten minutes and they pulled up outside the Cullen house. Jasper parked in the drive before killing the car, Alice turned and looked into the back seat. With a smirk she grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the napping pair before waking them. Both were groggy but wandered into the house with the others. Jake claimed a corner on the couch and Bella went around the corner to use the restroom.

When Bella came back the take-out boxes had been sat down on the coffee table and opened with glasses of fresh sweet tea. With a hum of appreciation the couple dug into their food. Jazz and Ali watched for a moment before heading to the sliding glass doors, "We're going for our dinner – we'll be back soon. Make yourselves at home." Bella ate her fill and let Jake finish off her dinner as she curled up on the couch, her head in his lap and a fluffy blanket thrown over her body. Jake leaned back and threaded his hand through her hair, letting his head tilt back onto the cushions. When Ali and Jazz came back they found the pair sleeping. Quietly they cleaned up and brought all the purchases into the house, leaving them in the corner of the living room before heading up to their own room to clean up and reconnect.

Sunbeams across her face woke Bella slowly and she stretched, groaning as she shifted on the sofa. She looked up at her boyfriend who was still sleeping and slowly got up, heading for the bathroom.

"Where you goin' love?" Jake asked in a husky sleepy voice, yet to open his eyes.

"Nature calls, darlin', I'll be right back." Bella told him as she slipped around the corner into the room. She used one of the spare brushes under the sink and rinses her mouth out by cupping her hand under the faucet. She did her morning routine and felt better now that her teeth weren't feeling like they were covered in fuzz. She came back into the room and plopped herself down in front of the bags, starting to sort things out into piles. Jake turned, stretching out along the sofa and pulled the throw towards him, inhaling the scent of the woman he loved before drifting back off to sleep.

Jasper and Alice came down the stairs about half an hour later, Jasper peeling off to fix breakfast while Ali dropped down to sit next to Bells and help with the sorting.

"We were going to move you up to a bed but figured you two looked too cute to disturb."

"I didn't mean to pass out but it's been a long week and I guess traveling and everything we did in Seattle wore me out." Bella told her best friend with a blush.

"No worries, Bella, you two needed the rest. Jazz and I spent the night setting up your new documents and paperwork for me to start back at school 'til the summer. We also got information on an accredited homeschooling website that's supported by Harvard University. So, it's not some fly by night rip off business, it's legit."

"Wow, you two were busy," Bella said as she slipped Charlie's gifts and Apple stuff into its own bag. "I want to spend at least three months doing nothing but soaking up sun and spending time with you three. Is that selfish of me?" Bella asked softly.

"No, it's not Bella. It's human to want time with your loved ones… to experience new things and to just relax for a change. Rose and Emmett may visit for a few weeks but other than that, it will just be us four there. Like I said before, there are plenty of fun things to do on the island and in nearby city ports. We won't let you get too bored."

Bella laughed softly as she put the last of her purchases, minus the electronics and quilt into different piles. She was going to need to buy a travel jewelry box for all her accessories. She leaned back on her elbows, inhaled and smiled at the scent of bacon and eggs cooking. Her stomach rumbled and she blushed prettily before she swung her eyes over to Jake. "I never thought I'd love anyone after Edward left. But Jake's … he's something special, we just click… he's my sun, breath, support and I can't even think what I would do without him. I want to be with him for the rest of my life, Alice. I shuddered at the idea of marriage with Edward but I'd love to be his wife. Is that crazy or what?"

"It's not crazy at all, it's simply devotion and adoration… you love him. You are happy and very content and natural with him. With Ed you were always trying to be what he wanted… with Jake you are just Bells and he loves you for that. I think it's wonderful. Now go wake the wolf so you two can eat so that we can take care of stuff with the pack and your dad." Alice told her with a happy smile.


	7. Meeting with the Pack

After breakfast everyone peeled off to hit different showers and dress for the day. Alice and Jasper were down in the living room talking quietly as Jake and Bella came down stairs. Bella was dressed in snug lavender jeans with a wide My Little Pony belt and a matching MLP shirt. Her newly styled hair was down around her shoulders in soft waves, cinnamon highlights catching in the light. She wore a light layer of make-up and Happy perfume. She wore purple Converse with black laces and carried a fleece black Navy jacket. She looked bright and cheerful instead of baggy and sad. She had on some of the jewelry that Jake had gotten her at the mall, the drop Le Vian earrings and the matching studs she'd had pierced.

Jake was wearing low slung blue Levis and a wide brown leather belt. He had a forest green t-shirt with the shadows of wolves howling at the moon on it and once again he was wearing his leather boots, as they were really comfortable. He'd given Bella the necklace at dinner Wednesday and since then she hadn't taken it off. He was holding the charm bracelet for her eighteenth birthday in September and the ring for their six month anniversary in July. He too had his stud in his right ear and watch on his wrist. He wasn't used to wearing so many clothes anymore but they were comfortable and fit him well.

They loaded into the Mercedes with Jasper at the wheel and headed to Bella's house. Her dad wouldn't be home until five but the pack and Billy were meeting at her house at noon. She wanted to get to the house in time to tidy up and make snacks. Instead of having her cook they stopped at the grocery store and bought six sandwich trays, jugs of tea and a dozen bags of chips. They also bought several flats of cupcakes. She knew the wolves were always hungry and having them fed would help to settle nerves.

Jasper parked the car in front of the house. He and Jake unloaded the car as Ali and Bells headed inside to start cleaning. Considering she'd been gone all week the place wasn't too bad. Between the four of them it was sparkling and fresh within the hour. All the windows were pushed open, as well as the front and back doors, with the screens latched to let in the fresh air. Bella was putting the final items on the table when Jake looked at the back door. The pack was coming out of the tree line and headed for the house. At the same time they heard a truck pull up outside. Jake went to greet the pack while Bella went to greet Billy and the imprints. Ali and Jazz sat on the steps, Ali leaning back against Jazz as she played with his calloused fingers and scarred hands lovingly.

"Come on in guys, we've got snacks." Jake told his pack with a sunny smile and some of the tension in their bodies lessened. He held the door open and took their ribbing about his "fancy rich boy clothes" with the same smile, determined to keep his cool and behave like an adult, not a child. "Make sure you save some for Billy and your imprints…" Jake warned them as the pack fell on the refreshments like… well a pack of wolves.

"Hi Billy, thanks for coming. Hey Sam, Emily and Kim… how are you?" Bella called to the trio in the truck as Sam bound out of the back to take care of Billy and his chair. They called back their greetings and came into the house, barely sparing a glance at the two leeches, trying to play nice. Plates for everyone were passed around and while Sam and Billy knew what was going on, everyone else was wondering. When everyone finished they gathered in the living room, sitting anywhere they could. Jake and Bella stood in the entry way, near Alice and Jasper. Jake started things rolling.

"So, I have good news for everyone. I won the lottery the weekend before spring break. That's why I've been gone all this week." He paused as everyone made happy noises and waited for them to quiet down before he continued. "As you guys are my pack… my family, I'm sharing the wealth. Bella…" He trailed off and motioned Bella forward. She passed everyone their cashier's checks and watched the look of shock on their faces as they saw the amounts. "I know you guys don't like charity, but it's not like that. It's a gift. You guys have had my back and protect the tribe… many of you are stuck now in La Push because of the wolf inside you… now things can be easier for you. I've also set aside a fund for housing, fifty thousand for each member, twice that for imprinted ones so that they have room to live and grow their families and not worry about where the next meal or pair of shorts and shoes are coming from. Please, accept this from me… your brother."

Jake waited with a worried expression and his dad was the first to speak up. "Jake is not only gifting us, but his sisters and Charlie. I above most frown on charity… but this is not given out of pity, but out of love and responsibility. Most of you have to keep secrets from your loved ones and are treated as second class on the Rez… this will change your lives for the better. Please think about it before you say no. Keep in mind, with these funds you can start businesses or go to college online… to better yourselves and your families."

"I agree with Billy. As Alpha I will not order you to take the money, but I'll take yours if you don't want it!" Sam said with a playful smile.

Everyone seemed to just sit and think and the silence was deafening. Finally Paul spoke up, "Why are the leeches here?"

Jake fielded that one. "They are here at Bella and I's request. I have more to tell you once you have decided to accept the money or not."

Embry, Quill, Jared and Kim spoke in turns, saying they would accept this gift from their brother. Slowly, one by one everyone agreed and Jake couldn't help but smile happily.

It was Sam who spoke again, "As of this summer, Jake will be leaving us for a time. He will be traveling with his imprint. The Chief of the tribe and his Alpha have already approved it. We hope our brother and son return to us, but his path lies differently from ours for now. If anyone else wishes to leave La Push… we can talk about it. We still have to keep some protection from nomads for our tribe so we can't all up and go, but perhaps we can work around vacations and maybe even college for a few, so long as it's at Port Angeles, so that you are close enough to come running if we need you in an emergency."

"Another thing," Jake said, "I will be putting money into a trust fund and will be using Alice's foresight to make wise investments to grow the funds, they are for future pack mates and future imprints. I don't want anyone to be left out or not cared for."

To say that the pack was shocked again was an understatement. Several voiced their disproval but if Billy and Sam were for it, their complaints really were of no merit. Oddly, it was Leah who spoke up the loudest, "I want to go to college. It's been hard on me, being the only female and other things… I need to get away for a while before I turn completely bitter and more bitchy than I am already. I need time to … heal. Please, Sam… Emily, let me do this… you both owe me this much… please?"

Emily took Sam's hand and nodded faintly to him. It really was the least they could do for her after everything their imprinting had put her through. Sam was the one to reply, "You may… You can go as far as Seattle…. I… I never meant to hurt you Lee. If this can help you and help things between us and you, then by all means, I agree. Holidays and at least one weekend a month you will need to return here to keep your connection to the pack and it's goings on. Is that agreeable to you?"

Leah looked shocked that it was agreed to and for the first time in a long time, she smiled a truly happy smile. "I'll do it… I know you didn't mean to, but you did. I understand it more now, but it still hurts. Maybe not hearing and seeing it all the time will help me heal. That and, I want to become a teacher and for that I need a degree. I want to help our Tribe by coming back here and improving what we learn, I think our history is too important to be forgotten or left behind because it's not main stream thinking."

Many were shocked by this proclamation, but Sam, Seth, Emily and Jake were not – they knew of her dreams and were happy to see she would get to follow through on it. Emily shared her dream in soft tones, "I want to open a café on the Rez… we need good home cooking besides the diner and I know Sam wants to go back to school for Architecture. He'll be able to do that online so as not to spread himself too thin. Kim I know you are interested in learning to cook, I'll be happy to teach you and maybe we could work together at the café – if you want to."

"I'd love that Em." Kim said with a smile.

Conversations continued along that line for a good hour and a half, talking of things they wanted to do, short vacations and places they wanted to see and the homes they would be building or adding onto. There was a lot of land available around the Rez and many of the wolves would be happy with outskirts land that backed up to the forest they ran patrols in.

For the first time Alice spoke, her tone gentle, "Since Bella and Jacob will be gone Jasper and I would like to do something for Charlie and Billy."

At this Billy lifted his head, curious and all of the pack members turned to look at the leech, wondering what she thought she could help them with.

"I'm going to hire a maid and cook service for you both… to come in Sunday's through Thursdays. I know you guys usually get together on the weekends so I figured you could fend for yourselves for those few days. Also, with Carlisle's help, Billy, I'd like to set up to have a personal care assistant come in twice a day to help you with things that Jake would normally do and make sure you are keeping healthy. You are important to Bells and Jake and thus important to us… all of you are."

At first Billy had a pissed off expression but as he listened and looked at the pleading looks from his son and imprint he realized it really was as the leech was saying, she just wanted to see him and Charlie taken care of. While he wanted to say no, he was wiser than that and so he nodded sagely and gave a very thin smile. "You honor me with your concern. I will accept this. I know better than to disagree, you will just do it anyway, knowing my Jake and Bells." He said fondly, his smile turning true at the end as he looked at the couple before looking at Alice. "Thank you. Alright, we need to clear out, it's coming on three and Charlie will be here at five, I'm sure they need a bit of quiet before he comes home. Let's go pack."

With hugs and smiles everyone left the house and the four left heaved a sigh of relief. It really had gone better than they expected. Bella and Alice moved into the kitchen to clean up the mess and trim things down for dinner tonight. Jake and Jasper sat down and turned the TV on the sports channel for background noise while they talked about the island in soft timbers while the girls gossiped in the kitchen.

Meanwhile in the kitchen Bella posed an idea to Alice. "Ali, I think I want Jake and I to go down to Florida this next weekend to give my mom the money and talk to her. It will go over better if we are face to face. Goodness knows I don't want mom coming up here to pitch her fit about me changing my school plan. How do you think she is going to react?"

Alice closed her eyes and focused on Renee, looking at the future outcomes. "You're right; she will throw a tantrum if you tell her all this stuff over the phone. It will be nice and sunny this weekend so it will have to be just you and Jake. But the alone time will be good for the two of you. It will be tense at first, but she'll agree in the end. Besides, she can't really stop you, you will be eighteen in September, and if they forced your hand you could just go until you were eighteen and then withdraw. But, it's going to work out.

A/N: fixed spelling errors – enjoy the story! ~Anjalyn


	8. Talking with Charlie

Charlie was late getting home, so when he walked in his door at seven he was happily surprised to see the four teens sitting around the TV, two of them munching on sandwiches and chips while the other two held half empty glasses of tea and crumb scattered plates sat in front of them. "Hey guys, I see you made it home safe. Let my shower and change and grab some food and we'll talk like I know you want to." He said with a grin. He wasn't chief for nothing, he was sharper than most gave him credit for.

Half an hour later Charlie sat in his Lazy Boy with a plate and glass. He took a few bites before talking. "So, what plans have you come up with that you think I'm not going to like now that you have money?"

To say that Bella was shocked was an understatement. She gaped while Alice and Jasper chuckled and Jacob looked just as surprised. They gathered their wits, closed their mouths and this time it was Bella's time to take the floor. "I want to travel dad. I know you want me to graduate from high school here in Forks but I can complete and get my diploma from online courses through Harvard Online School. So can Jake and Alice. Jasper is already done, so he can help with anything. I love Forks, dad, but there are so many hard memories here because of Edward… I need to heal." She told him, borrowing Leah's term, which strangely fit her too.

Charlie finished his sandwich and half a glass of tea, thinking about what his daughter was asking. "So you want me to let you travel the world with three other teenagers?"

With a sigh, she nodded. "If you want to solely look at it that way, yes. But another thing to remember dad, I'll be eighteen in September. I'm just asking to go a little sooner. I want your blessing on this. I'm not planning to never come back or not see you or not stay in contact. In fact, we got you these…" She said as she pulled out the new iPhone and MacBook. She passed them over to him with a smile. "With this we can talk anytime, as long as I'm not sleeping or something and with the laptop, it has this program called Skype, it lets you video chat – so you can see me, not just hear me. This is something I really want to do, dad… I've really thought about it."

"Hmm…" He said as he turned the phone in his hand and turned it on, noting the engraving on the back of the phone and on the top of the lap top. He mused to himself 'she really has thought this out'. "I'll agree on one condition. I want a phone call every other day… and we do this Skype thing at least once a week. I refuse to go back to how it was at your mother's and never hear from you or see you. And since you have money, no hostels, you do it right and stay in good places, not dumps."

"Oh dad!" Bella got out as she stood up and went over to him, hugging him around the shoulders. "I promise I'll be safe. Thank you so much, dad." They hugged for a few minutes before letting go and Bella handed him the cashier's check. He was shocked at the amount to be sure but as he sat, Alice explained while Bella took a seat on the sofa.

"Charlie, that's completely yours. In addition to that, since Bella won't be here every day, I'm setting you up with a Maid and Cook service to come in Sunday through Thursday. I've done the same thing for Billy and even if you say no, you're still getting the service. None of us want to see you going back to fast food and diner staples… we want to see you healthy and safe too." Alice gave him her brightest smile and they all watched his resolve slip.

"Alright, I guess I'll agree to that too. But she better not wash my uniforms, they have to be dry cleaned. She'll need to know to keep Beer in the house too." He smiled as he added his demands, he was sure there would be more as time went by, but those two were most important. He sighed as he looked at the teens on the sofa. "So when do you plan on going? Are you going to finish the school year here or go ahead and pull out now?"

Bella smiled, "You'd let me pull out now? Oh wow, that would be great, dad. The Cullen's own an island off the coast of Brazil and we were thinking of going there. Of course, I've got to tell mom… I was thinking of flying down with Jake next weekend to tell her."

"Yeah, if you show me this Harvard online school thing, and I check it out and it's legit, then yes, I'll go withdraw you from school this coming week and you can start traveling. No need to be dragging through school here if you really want to be somewhere else. I don't want to see you depressed like you were and by God, right now you look happier than I've seen you ever. I won't take that away from you. Go call your mom and let her know you are coming Tuesday, might as well get it over with quick."

Bella got up to call her mom on her new phone from the kitchen while Jasper opened Charlie's new laptop and showed him the Harvard site. He'd already set up an account so that Charlie could view the parent's side of things. He would be able to what assignments and tests Bella would have and how she did on them, in the case of papers due, he could even read them if he wanted.

"I'll be calling them tomorrow, Jasper. But it looks good so far. Show me more, please?"

Jasper nodded and while he was showing Charlie around the site, Alice and Jacob smiled at each other.

"We should have got your dad a phone and laptop too. I'll order one this evening, what should we engrave on it?" Alice asked.

"Chief Billy Black… I think would tickle him. Then they will match in their Chief-doms." Jake said with a smile.

Bella came back into the living room with a sigh. "Mom's convinced herself I'm coming down to tell her we're pregnant. She's already setting up a gynecologist appoint me for me Wednesday. There's no arguing with her when she gets like that."

Alice piped up with a grin. "At least she will be proven wrong. It's going to be rainy the whole week. There's a storm coming in. Do you mind if we go with you?"

"Of course you can come, Alice. I was thinking we should pick mom up an iPhone and MacBook like dad… so we can keep in touch. Hers will need a really good warranty, she's hard on things."

"We were thinking we'd need to pick up one for Billy too, we can fly out of Seattle and pick them up tomorrow before our flight. We can use the Cullen Jet instead of flying commercial, if that's alright?" Ali offered.

"A private Jet, hell yeah." Jake said with a wide grin.

"That'd be great, Ali… and more comfortable for everyone." Bella smiled at her friend.

"So you will be leaving tomorrow night then?" Charlie looked up from the website he was surfing.

"Yeah, if that's alright with you, dad?" Bella asked, still smiling happily.

"Fine with me, your mom will be happy to see you. Are you going to stay with her or in a hotel?" Her dad asked.

"With it being all four of us, I think we will stay in a hotel. I know mom will not like it all that much, but I'm used to my own space now. And trying to fit all four of us into her two bedroom house would be hard."

"We can rent a suite of rooms not far from her, and then she won't have to worry as much about cooking meals for all of us either." Alice added.

Jasper spoke up, "What do you think about visiting our folks after we see your mom, Bella?"

"That would be great. What do you think, Jake?" Bella turned to look at her boyfriend.

"I think if it makes you happy, love, I'm all for it, if they will have us." Jake said with a smile. He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly before sitting back.

"Sounds like you have several trips all planned out. You should see some of the sites while you are up in the Pennsylvania area. I've heard the historical places are well kept." Charlie added. He thought for a second and then looked at the teens. "I have some vacation coming to me, would you mind if your old man tagged along with you to see Renee? It will help deflect her ire. I'll even stay with her, so as to really get her dander up." He said with a mischievous grin.

The teens all looked at Alice and she tilted her head, thinking before grinning. "It will certainly throw her off, Charlie. Of course you can come. I can see about getting you tickets to a Marlin's game while you are down there if you want."

"That'd be great, Alice, thanks." Charlie said with a smile. "You know… with this money I can buy season box tickets to see the Mariners. Billy and I will have a blast seeing the games. I might just buy me a new truck for me times. Have someone come in and fix up and redo some things around the house… repaint those yellow cabinets… get a bigger TV…" He trailed off, setting the lap top on the coffee table and went into the kitchen, muttering about what he'd like to change.

The four smiled at each other and Bella leaned over to whisper to Alice, "Are you sure it will be ok with Charlie coming with us?"

"Yeah, Bella, I've seen it. We leave on the night flight out of Seattle and arrive at night in Florida… he stays with your mom and like I said, it's going to be storming the whole week so we will be safe. We'll still go back in the summer to stay for a few weeks but this way he gets a little one on one time with you. And it really does throw Renee off having him there." Alice said with a smile.


	9. To Jacksonville

Charlie had to go in for last minute paperwork Monday morning while the teens headed to Seattle early. Jasper had set up the flight plan and hotel while Jake went to the Mall with the girls. They found themselves in the Apple store again; they bought a red MacBook for Billy with the engraving they agreed on and a red iPhone. For Renee they got a hot pink iPhone and MacBook and on a whim, they got the same things, but in black, for Phil… Bella didn't want him to feel left out. They bought all the accessories to go with the gear and stopped at the Godiva store for chocolates and sweets. Alice picked out two pounds of assorted truffles for Charlie, Phil and Renee while Bella bought herself two dozen chocolate covered strawberries along with a pound of different types of chocolaty goodness. Jake, well, he tried to buy out the store – he bought a dozen of everything they had. The girl behind the counter was wide eyed at their spending but was happy to help them.

They hit up the salon where Jake had himself made over and trimmed up. Alice sat with Bella as she had her nails and toes painted dark lavender. When they finished, they joined Jasper at a nearby Starbucks. By the time they met up, he was done with everything he needed to do. The four of them went to a mailbox store and picked up their new documents. It was decided that Ali and Jazz would use the Whitlock name while Jake and Bells would stick with the Black surname. Secretly Bella loved the fact that she was carrying his name, she only wished it were legit. The decided all of them would be documented at twenty-two, it would open all sorts of doors. Bella wasn't sure she could pull off the age but she knew she had the maturity for it.

They met Charlie at an Outback Steak House for lunch and all of them had steaks with all the trimmings. Since he had to drive to the airport still, Charlie declined his regular beer with his meal. Desert was apple pie for Charlie, cheesecake for Bella and a brownie sundae for Jake. Both Jasper and Alice cited an allergy to wheat and dairy as their reason for not indulging in sweets. Charlie picked up the check with a smile, he'd put the money from the kids into his account today and was enjoying the freedom that came with it. Since he had the money, he didn't have to worry about his check being short while he took unpaid leave for the next three days to go to Florida. He understood now the desire to do things you couldn't before that the kids had.

Once they were at the private airport, they locked up the cars and boarded the jet. It was a very nice Cessna Citation 10. The jet really was a thing of beauty. The bar was stocked- for the humans' sake and Jasper was even sure to have Charlie's favorite beer on hand. The stewardess gave everyone else sodas while Charlie popped the top on his drink and settled into the seat with a happy sigh.

The others were gathered near the back of the plane while Charlie sat up front, both to give the kids space and to watch the goings on in the cockpit. The eight hour flight was smooth and mostly quiet. Charlie napped after his second beer while the teens played card games and watched Despicable Me. All four of them loved the little minions, while Jasper found the movie's version of "evil" to be quite funny compared to the evil he'd seen before.

* * *

They touched down in Jacksonville shortly after nine in the evening. Since they hadn't been sure when they would be arriving, Jasper arranged for a car service to take them to Renee and Phil's house and then on to the hotel. While Renee knew that the kids were coming, she didn't know about Alice, Jasper or Charlie. When they disembarked from the jet Charlie, Bella and Jacob were shocked to see a black limo sitting on the tarmac waiting on them. A man in a suit and the pilot from the jet started offloading the luggage into the trunk.

"A limo?" Charlie whispered reverently.

Jasper chuckled and nodded, "Easiest way to fit all of us. I'll go to a car rental place tomorrow and get vehicles for you and us to use while we are here. Do you want a sports car or something more sedate?"

Charlie looked flabbergasted then smiled suddenly, "The sportiest car you can find, Jasper. Might as well live it up some while I'm at it, huh?"

Alice giggled while Jake gave the Chief two thumbs up, Bella just smiled and shook her head. They all piled into the limo, Alice and Jasper sitting on one side, Charlie on another and Jacob and Bella against the back. It was roomy and featured a bar filled with sodas, an assortment of beers for Charlie and water for Ali and Jazz. Everyone took a drink and settled back to enjoy the ride through downtown and out toward Atlantic Beach, where Renee and Phil lived. They stopped at a Chic-Fil-a for dinner while Alice and Jasper got food but said they would eat at the hotel, citing eating in a moving vehicle made them sick. Charlie shrugged it off to another quirk and ate his two sandwiches and waffle fries. Jake tore through three and had another two for "later"; Bella was happy with one and a small bowl of fruit salad.

* * *

By the time they pulled up in front of Phil's house the humans were showing signs of catching their second wind. They parked in front of the house and the driver opened the door before going to back to get out Charlie's laptop messenger bag and duffle. Jake went to the back and got out the bag of chocolates and the two bags from Apple for his girlfriends' family inside.

Renee' threw the door open and squealed as she raced to Bella, eerily similar to how Bella had hugged Alice last week. She was talking a mile a minute, asking about the flight and the limo. When Phil came out he pulled up short at the extra three people standing near the limo at the end of the sidewalk.

"Renee', honey, let her go and say hello to the rest of our guests, huh?" Phil told his wife with a smile as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Renee' blinked a few times as she looked up, her jaw dropping at seeing Charlie and two others she didn't' know. "We only have one guest room but I guess we can figure out some way to fit everyone. Charlie, what are you doing here, is everything ok?"

"Everything is better than okay, Renee', don't worry so much. Can we come in and we'll explain why I'm here." Charlie told his ex-wife nicely as he headed towards the door, leaving her little choice but to let him pass and come inside.

Jasper told the driver they would be a while and he nodded before going back to the limo to sit and wait. The rest of them went into the house and sat around the living room, Charlie standing near his luggage at the end of the couch. "Have a seat, Renee… the kids have some news for you."

"I knew it, you're preg…" Renee started.

"She's not pregnant, we've never even… um… that's not the news ma'am. First let me introduce everyone." Jake said with a slight blush. "These are our best friends, Alice and her fiancée Jasper. I'm Jacob Black, Billy's son, I'm Bella's boyfriend."

Polite nods were given all around and Jake stood up and took a folded up bit of paper from his wallet and handed it over to Renee. "You see, the news is: last weekend, Bella and I won the Washington Lottery. We've given money to our friends and family and rather than tell you this over the phone we wanted to tell you and give you yours in person. You can't say no, we'll just find a way to deposit it to your account anyway." Jake explained with a sunny grin.

Phil took the paper from a stunned Renee and opened it, eyes widening in shock. "Son, this is too much, we can't take this from you kids, you need it."

This time it was Bella who chimed in, "Actually Phil, we won seventy-nine million, that's not going to hurt us to give it to you at all. Please take it."

Renee looked at Charlie with a raised brow and asked, "You mean to tell me you took money from them?"

Charlie nodded, "It was either I take it with a smile and a thank you or like they said, they would have just put it into my account anyway. Take the money Renee and say thank you. Lord knows it will make traveling to and from Phil's games easier on you both. Besides, think of all the arts and crafts things you could do with it." He teased her at the last.

Renee looked again at the kids and saw all of them nodding to her. "Alright, we'll take it, since you are all insisting. But since you are here, everything is on us."

Jasper cleared his throat with a soft smile, "Almost everything, ma'am. We've already secured a suite at One Ocean Resort; it's just a few miles away, for us for to stay at. We were hoping Charlie could stay here, if not, I'll happily put him up in his own room there."

"Of course Charlie can stay with us." Phil answered with a nod. "How about we postpone more talking until the morning at breakfast."

"We can eat at the resort, at Azurea. They have a great selection of breakfast foods to choose from. We can plan out the rest of the day from there, if that works for everyone? They have a concierge service that can get Charlie and I to Enterprise rental company for vehicles after eating." Jasper offered.

* * *

They agreed on this and Phil showed Charlie to the guest room while Renee said her goodnights to the kids. A few tears and hugs later, the four of them got back into the limo and headed to the resort. While normally check in is around three, since they paid ahead for their nights the front desk was more than helpful with their accommodations. The resort didn't actually have suites per se but had what they referred to as "Deluxe" rooms with king sized beds and amazing views with all the amenities one could ask for. They had rooms right next to each other with balconies so Ali and Jazz could hop from one to the other to come and go from room to room.

As Bella and Jake settled in, Ali and Jazz popped in to let them know they were going to hunt down some alligators and would meet them in the morning at Azurea. Bella was tired and went to bathe before bed while Jake settled at the little table to finish off his dinner and check out the snack cabinet.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note:

For those of you following my stories - my apologies that there have not been updates - I have been/ am very ill at the moment and unable to write.

When things are better (and the writer's block is gone) I will post more.

Thanks for your understanding.

~Anjalyn


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